Danny, p.11
Danny, page 11
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. I’m not imagining this. It was here yesterday and now it’s gone. The set isn’t worth anything if it’s incomplete.” She turned away from the bookcase and began to pace the room. “We have to get rid of these brownies,” she said. “We-we need an exterminator.” She reached for the phone book on her desk. “Like those ghostbuster guys in the movie. You have to have someone in Ireland who takes care of these things.”
“Of course we do,” Danny said. “And they’re all scoundrels and cheats. They’ll take your money, sprinkle a few herbs around the room and laugh all the way to the bank.”
“What am I supposed to do? I didn’t mind it at first, but this set cost five hundred pounds. I’m going to have to replace it.”
“Unless we found the person who stole it.”
“I thought you said brownies stole it.”
He closed the phone book and grabbed her hand, leading her along to the leather sofa. “I don’t believe in brownies any more than you do. We need to figure out how this person-and I do believe it’s a person-is getting into the house. Remember Kellan told us about the secret passage? We need to find it before anything else goes missing.” Danny sat down, then pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her.
“Okay. So how do we do this?”
“We start by checking out the exterior and the cellars. See if we can find any entrances there. They have to come in from the outside in some way. And it can only happen from the exterior walls or the cellar.”
“Contractors have been over every inch of this place,” she said. “The cellars are solid stone so that can’t be it.”
“The pool,” Danny said. “What better place to hide an entrance?”
“No. You’d be able to see an entrance down there. The walls are tiled.”
“Maybe Kellan is wrong,” he murmured.
“No, he has to be right. My question is, who is coming in and why? They really haven’t stolen anything of value. They’re just causing mischief.”
“Maybe it’s a kid,” Danny said, smoothing a strand of hair from her temple. “Before you started working on this house, it was open for years. Maybe one of the kids who hung out here found the secret entrance and is just coming in out of curiosity.”
“That makes sense,” Jordan said.
“We need to let the dogs sleep in the house,” Danny said. “If someone comes in, they’ll bark.”
Jordan thought about his suggestion for a moment. She hadn’t allowed Finny and Mogue into the house since that very first night, when she’d thought someone was in her room. Danny understood her reluctance, considering all the work that had been done on the wooden floors. But the best defense against a troublemaker was a four-legged offense.
“All right. But I’m going to make them wear those little booties that I make the contractors wear.”
“They’re not going to like that,” Danny said. “Besides, they won’t stay on. I’ll trim their nails. They’ll be fine.”
Jordan drew a deep breath. “All right. I feel better. Now that we have a plan, we’re going to figure this out.”
Danny forced a smile. If only the rest of their troubles were so easy to solve.
He wanted to talk about what was going to happen between them when the job was over. He needed to know where he stood. All the guessing was wearing on him and he’d grown sick of trying to interpret every little thing she said to him.
When they were together, intimately entangled, Danny knew there was something there, something much deeper than just lust. When he moved inside her, it wasn’t about his pleasure, it had become all about her, as if the beauty and power of their physical relationship might somehow prove to her they belonged together.
Every day that passed, he saw proof of the end. The painters were gone, the roofers were finished. Books now filled the shelves in the library, utensils and pots and pans hung from the racks in the kitchen, and furniture and rugs would arrive in a few days. After that, the house would be transformed from a construction site to a home and it would all be over.
It was a day that Jordan was anxiously awaiting and one he could only dread. Why was he so afraid to broach the subject with her? Danny suspected that he wasn’t ready to hear her answer.
If she was planning to walk away without a second thought, then he didn’t want to know until the very last moment of their time together. She had bewitched him, and like the other victims of the leanan sidhe, he would pay for his desire when she let him go. Though it wouldn’t be death, he might feel like it for a time.
“Why don’t we just take a little break?” he suggested, nuzzling her neck. “We could go down and take a swim. Or we could go out and get an early supper.”
“We’re always taking little breaks from work,” Jordan said.
“I don’t mean that kind of break,” he said, referring to their sexual trysts. “Let’s just get out of the house and do something. Take a drive, take a walk. It’s a beautiful autumn day and you’ve been cooped up inside for too long. And I want to spend some time with you. Nothing more.”
“I can’t leave,” she said. “I have all this work to do and I-”
“I’m not asking you to take an ocean voyage for feck’s sake,” Danny teased.
She shrugged. “I know. But I sort of have something important to do this afternoon and I really wouldn’t be very good company. And I need some time to work up my courage.”
“Are you planning to go cliff diving? Or will you be jumping out of a plane?”
Jordan giggled. “No, nothing so simple. I’m going to call my father and give him an ultimatum. Either he gives me the hotel job or I’m going to quit.”
A gasp slipped from Danny’s throat, her statement taking him by surprise. If she wasn’t working for her family then she wouldn’t be tied to New York anymore. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Yes,” Jordan said, nodding. “Absolutely. And I have you to thank for that.”
“Me?”
“I’ve always been so careful about everything I’ve done in my life. Until I met you. Then I just threw caution to wind. I had sex in the middle of a fairy circle yesterday. I was naked, running around in the rain. If I can do that, I can certainly be honest with my father. It’s time I stood up to him.”
“And what will you do if he gives you the job?” Danny asked.
Jordan opened her mouth to reply, then paused, frowning. “I’ll do the job,” she murmured. “I’ll do a really good job and prove that I’m just as good as any of my brothers.”
“And if he refuses?”
She thought about the question for a long moment. “I don’t know. I suppose I should figure that out, too.” Jordan drew a ragged breath. “I guess I’ll…quit.”
Danny grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “Are you really ready to do that?”
“It’s always been an option,” she said. “I’ve almost done it a few times in the past, but then talked myself out of it. I can’t continue like this, Danny. I should be worth something to him, as a daughter and an employee. Maybe it’s time to find out where I stand.”
“Why do you care what your father thinks? You’re an adult. You don’t need his approval.”
Jordan laughed. “Yeah, right. Don’t even try to analyze me. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to figure out why I seek my father’s approval. It’s just something I do. My brothers do it also. But I’m just willing to suffer more to get what I want.”
“You’re suffering?” Danny asked.
“Well, not at the moment.”
“I bet your brothers never had sex with one of their employees,” he said. “That’s wicked suffering there.”
“You’re not my employee and I’m not your boss, remember?”
He grabbed her waist and set her on her feet, then stood beside her. “Give me a half hour.”
“For what?”
“A swim. We could get naked, play in the water, have a little fun and have you back at work before anyone knows you’re missing.”
“You just want to get my clothes off,” she said.
“Yes, I do. That is pretty much my goal from the time we get up in the morning until the time we crawl into bed at night.”
“Oh, so now I get the real story. You’re not interested in making gates and medallions and hinges anymore. This is all about me and you.”
“Now you’re starting to understand. Finally. It’s about bloody time.” He reached for the hem of her shirt. “I’ll race you. First one naked and in the water wins.”
Jordan slowly shook her head. “No, no, no.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” he said, tugging his T-shirt over his head. He watched as her gaze drifted over his chest, then reached for the button of his jeans. He unzipped them and skimmed them down his hips, kicking off his shoes before casting the jeans aside.
He was left in only his boxers and when he hooked his fingers in the waistband, Jordan sucked in a sharp breath. With deliberate ease, he slowly slid them down until he was standing in front of her, completely naked.
“All right,” she finally said. “It would probably be better to call my father tomorrow. He’s always in a bad mood on Tuesdays.”
“That’s my girl,” Danny said. “Since I’ve had a head start, I’ll let you catch up before we race to the pool.”
“Here?”
Danny nodded. “Yes.”
Jordan took the opportunity to perform a very sexy striptease for him and when she had him completely distracted with her naked body, took off for the door. Danny headed to the kitchen and the stairs that led down from there, but Jordan took the opposite path, taking the stairs near the front door. By the time he reached the pool, she was already treading water in the deep end.
“You have a half hour,” she called, her voice echoing against the tiles. “You’d better make it worth my time.”
IT WAS NEARLY 9:00 p.m. when Jordan pulled up in front of the manor house. The drive back and forth to Wexford was a long one, but her time had gone to a good cause. Over the past sixteen months, she’d visited hundreds of antique stores all over Ireland. To her delight, she’d found period fixtures for almost every room in the manor house. Today had brought a small chandelier for the upper hallway.
The only problem with a day away was that she hadn’t had her regular dose of Danny Quinn. She’d grown used to seeing him whenever the impulse stuck.
But the ride to Wexford had given her time to think about all that had happened since his arrival at Castle Cnoc. Though she’d vowed to keep their relationship simple, the deeper her affections grew, the more difficult it became. She found herself fantasizing about a real future with the sexy Irishman.
She imagined them strolling the streets of Manhattan together, buying a weekend house in Connecticut, keeping an apartment in the city, enjoying everything that New York had to offer. Other times, she imagined herself living here in Ireland, raising a family and making a home with him. But always, she came to the realization that if they were to have a future, one of them would have to sacrifice.
Though she’d been determined to call her father and give him her ultimatum, Jordan had been putting it off for the past few days. Tomorrow was Friday and after that, the weekend. She’d call him at home on Sunday morning, knowing that without the pressures of the office, he might be more amenable. Plus, her mother would be there to run interference.
In truth, she was afraid of his answer. If he did allow her to quit, then she had to decide what to do with the rest of her life. At least now, everything was still in limbo. She still had choices.
As she stepped out of the car, she saw Danny standing at the front door. The scaffolding was gone and the original door was hung with brand-new hinges and hardware. Progress, she mused. That always brought a smile to her face.
“Hey, baby,” he said with a devilish smile. “Welcome home.”
“You’ve been busy,” she said. “It looks incredible.” He swung the door back and forth on its hinges, demonstrating how smoothly it worked. “Very nice job. Have you been waiting here long?”
“All afternoon. But I have a good reason,” he said.
“You always have a good reason,” she teased.
He strode up to her and picked her up off her feet, wrapping her legs around his waist. “I’m not always thinking about sex,” he said. “I have other things going on in my life.”
“Like what?”
Danny carried her into the house. But instead of heading back to the office, he carried her up the stairs, his mouth warm on her throat. They walked to her bedroom and then into the bathroom.
“What are we doing?”
“I’m going to draw a bath for you and then you’re going to relax and tell me about your day. And then I’m going to ask you something and you’re going to say yes.”
“Don’t I always say yes?”
“That’s true. And after you say yes, we’re going to have some dinner and spend the rest of the night in bed.”
She slipped out of her jacket and tossed it aside, then rubbed her stiff neck. Hours in the car had exhausted her and she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than a hot bath. But her curiosity was piqued. What was he going to ask? she wondered. What was so important to him that he’d bribe her with a bath to get a positive response?
“Ask me now,” Jordan demanded.
“It can wait,” he said.
As the water ran into the huge clawfoot tub, Danny slowly undressed her. When she was naked, he stood back and stared at her. It felt odd for him to be fully clothed while she was naked. Not odd, she thought. Erotic. “No, I want to know now. Did you go over budget? Did you mess something up?”
“It’s not about the house.” He helped her into the tub, then handed her a glass of wine that he’d set on the floor.
“What is it?” she asked, sinking down into the hot water. “I want to know.”
He cursed softly. “This is supposed to be relaxing and now you’re all tense,” he said. “It’s really nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, than you can ask me now. Do you need a day off? Is that it?”
He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and handed her an envelope. “It’s an invitation to my gallery opening on Saturday night. I’m showing a couple of pieces and I thought you might like to come with me. As my date.”
Jordan stared at the invitation, warmed by his offer. “Yes,” she murmured. “Yes, I’d love to go as your date.”
He seemed pleased with her answer, dropping a quick kiss on her shoulder. “It’s in Dublin. I thought we could go and spend the night. Maybe see a bit of the city on Sunday. Make a weekend out of it.”
Though Jordan had never spent more than a day away from Castle Cnoc, she realized that time with Danny was running out. There were so many things she wanted to experience with him, but every day that passed was one less she’d have with him. By her estimate, they had less than a month left. And yet, any time spent in Danny’s company was better than her solitary life in New York.
Was he really what she’d been waiting for? This wasn’t supposed to be how it happened. She wasn’t supposed to fall in love with an Irish blacksmith with thick, dark hair and bottomless blue eyes.
She opened her eyes and glanced at him. Danny wasn’t pretty, he was sheer masculine perfection. He wore his looks the way he wore his clothes, casually, as if he weren’t aware of the effect they had on her. She was so accustomed to neatly tailored men that he seemed exotic and forbidden.
“In Manhattan, gallery openings are pretty fancy affairs. Are they that way in Dublin?”
He chuckled. “You’re going to see me in a proper jacket,” he said. “No tie, but I’m going to look very sexy. The women will be all over me.”
“I didn’t ask so you could tell me about your wardrobe choice. I’ll need to decide on a dress.”
“I could take you shopping,” he said.
“I have the perfect dress at home. I’ll have it sent from New York this afternoon.”
“Then it’s all settled. On Saturday, we’re going to Dublin.” He was watching her through hooded eyes. “Now, tell me about your day.”
“Chandelier for the upper hallway, monogrammed towels for the bathrooms, still looking for decent sheets. May have to do mail order from Frette. Unless I take a weekend and go to Italy for linens. Or Paris.”
“Is that even a possibility?”
“Yes,” Jordan said. “If that’s what’s needed, that’s what I’ll do. I’d prefer to stick with Irish linens though. Maybe if we left tonight, I could shop tomorrow in Dublin.” She groaned softly and leaned back in the bath. “God, I’m so sick of shopping.” She glanced over at him. “Enough about me. What did you do all day long?”
“Thought about you in the bed,” he said. “Made some hinges. Thought about you in the bathtub. Worked on the garden gate. Thought about you in the swimming pool, designed a front gate for the drive.”
“Really?” She laughed. “So, you had a productive day.”
“Yes,” he said. “So, boss, give me a job to do. I could rub your feet. Or wash your back. Or massage your shoulders.”
“All of those would be nice,” she murmured.
“I’ll start with the shoulders.” He sat down behind her and began to knead the knotted muscles. She tipped her head to the side and he pressed his lips to a spot at the base of her neck. “Do you ever wonder what you’d be doing if you hadn’t come here to Castle Cnoc?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Our lives seem so intertwined here. What if you were alone? What would you be doing right now?”
“I’d probably be sitting at the pub, having a beer with my brothers. Maybe tending the bar, drawing Guinness. Then a game of darts or billiards.” He chuckled. “Jaysus, I had a boring life before I met you.”
“Me, too,” she said. “I spent my free time searching the internet for fabric and furniture and fixtures. The highlight of my evening would be my decision whether to have a ham sandwich or a grilled cheese. Dinner would be followed by whatever bestseller I was reading.”
